Chelsea gem with 101 touches deserves the limelight

Chelsea made it five wins from five in the UEFA Conference League, despite the subzero temperatures in Kazakhstan. Enzo Maresca’s side won 3-1 against Astana, with two goals from Marc Guiu and a header from Renato Veiga in the first half.

The Blues held 69% possession, taking 23 shots in the game, creating five big chances and scoring three goals from their 1.19 xG generated. This dominant performance also allowed Maresca to hand out a few more Chelsea debuts, bringing the likes of Ato Ampah, Shumaira Mhueka and Kiano Dyer on from the bench.

Chelsea remain top of the UEFA Conference League, sitting on 15 points, scoring 21 goals in five games and only conceding four times. This leaves them with a goal difference of +17, the most in the competition.

Marc Guiu’s performance vs Astana

Guiu has made nine appearances for Chelsea this season after joining the Blues this summer from Barcelona, for a fee of around £5m.

The striker has shown in his short time at the club that he is a hard-working forward, who will chase down balls, run the channels, and make the defenders’ lives a nightmare.

The 18-year-old Spanish forward had 22 touches in the game against Astana, taking three shots (two on target), making one key pass, winning one of his two ground duels, and, of course, scoring two of the Blues’ three goals.

But Guiu wasn’t the top performer, as there was another player who stole the limelight. In fact, it was a Cobham academy graduate who actually put in a man of the match display, stating his case for more senior team minutes this season.

Josh Acheampong’s performance vs Astana

18-year-old defender, Josh Acheampong was outstanding in his full debut, securing a 7.9/10 match rating from 90MIN for his performance. This was Acheampong’s first appearance since he was “frozen out” of the first and U21 squads, as Chelsea attempted to agree terms of a new deal with the teenage sensation.

Acheampong featured against Barrow in the EFL Cup this season for the first team, playing 27 minutes in Chelsea’s 5-0 victory. His only other appearances prior to this Conference League game this season were four Premier League 2 games, where he provided one assist and totalled 273 minutes.

Standing at 6 foot 3, Acheampong possesses an extremely athletic frame, is a powerful runner, and can win duels to the teams’ benefit, as shown against Astana, winning six of his nine ground duels, and making four tackles, helping the visitors to sustain pressure and keep the ball in the opposition half.

But the youngster also showed his class on the ball, full of confidence and poised with composure, making 94% of his passes, four out of his six long balls, and even playing a key pass for the team. His 100% dribble success is perhaps the most impressive stat line though, as his ability to carry the ball through central areas can often catch the opposition off guard.

The teenager’s performance was one that showed enough to challenge Maresca in the injury absence of Reece James, for Acheampong to feature in the Chelsea senior squad more frequently this season, deputising Malo Gusto as the right-back.